Sustainability is not a catch phrase; it’s a natural extension of who we are.

For us, sustainability is not a lofty idea but a fundamental, and necessary, endeavor. Our concept is about the food and drink of course, but it’s also about our team, our facilities, our practices, and the hundreds of decisions we make each day that affect the world around us. We believe it’s about finding a balance, which allows us to sustain our quest of making quality, accessible food, while also giving back to our community and the environment.

FOOD WITH A CONSCIENCE

We give a great deal of thought to the farmers who grow, raise, and harvest our food, as well as the people who eat it. We seek out family farmers and support purveyors who employ responsible farming methods. This includes farms that value and support conservation, biodiversity, animal stewardship, economic viability, and fair treatment of workers. Above all, we focus on quality, whether we’re bringing in peaches from down the road or broccoli from across the country.

A GREEN FOUNDATION

Our flagship location opened as Washington, D.C.’s first LEED Gold Certified restaurant and as the first upscale-casual, full-service LEED Gold restaurant in the country. These prestigious certifications, offered by the U.S. Green Building Council, recognize architecture and interiors that have been constructed and created with a minimal impact on the environment. Every element is thoughtfully designed, from the efficient HVAC and lighting systems all the way down to the tables made from reclaimed wood. Our Maryland location is LEED Silver certified, and Tysons is LEED certified. In addition, we continually work to establish and pursue all of our Founding Farmers locations as 3 and 4 Star Certified Green Restaurants®. To make this possible and continue our commitment to being a green business, we compost food waste, use no bottled water on site, donate our used grease so it can be recycled into biofuel, use the most energy efficient equipment, and use occupancy sensors to reduce energy usage.

MAINTAINING OUR BELIEFS

We hold ourselves accountable for living our green mission each and every day in our stores, but so does the Green Restaurant Association. The GRA measures, among many things, recycling practices and high-efficiency water and energy usage. Every two years we undergo a careful recertification and reevaluation process where the GRA reviews invoices and systems, and scores on a strict point system. We keep a close eye on maintaining and improving our score as we evolve and new green initiatives become available.

Find the steps that each of our restaurants is taking to become certified by the Green Restaurant Association here: